Being a business owner is a never-ending journey of learning. There are new marketing strategies to explore, emerging trends to be aware of, and exciting new products designed to ease your daily grind.

Something else you need to keep abreast of is technology. Every day it evolves and if you are not keeping up, you could miss out on tools such as mapping software, productivity apps, and web-based payment systems. All of these and more will make life easier and help your business grow.

Let’s look at some of the ways technology can help boost your business.

Backup Software

Malicious software and hackers are a problem for business owners the world over. Victims of data breaches often suffer losses in brand reputation and customer trust, both of which can be costly, whatever the size of your business.

You can mitigate the risk of such losses with backup software. Tools like these use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to flag suspicious software and files. In addition, they also act as recovery and continuity tools.

Data Encryption

Following on from backup software comes encryption as a security measure for preventing information from unauthorized access.

In today’s digital economy, customer data is more important than ever before. You can keep it safe with encryption algorithms and other security measures.

When you encrypt your data, an algorithm converts readable data into an unreadable format. Deciphering the information requires a key.

Productivity Apps

Technology has helped to create numerous productivity tools for managers and workers. They can help increase business productivity at a minimal cost. All you need is a mobile device and you can download apps such as:

• Trello;
• Slack;
• Asana;
• Podio;
• Trello;
• and many more.

Many productivity apps are completely free or are provided free for a certain level of service.

Social Media Management

Social media has become key to the success of modern businesses. It is vital to have a person in your organization that keeps up with the company’s social media accounts.

You do not necessarily have to hire someone for the job as there are lots of online tools that will make the responsibility easier. 

One great example is Hootsuite. This social media management tool allows you to monitor and post content on all your networks from one platform. 

Similar social media management apps include:

• Buffer: Lets you share posts at specific times throughout the day;
• Latergramme or Snaptag: Schedule your posts for different times of the day;
• Social Reposts: Automatically shares your favorite posts across all platforms;
• Appygram: Use it to manage Instagram from your desktop rather than a mobile device.

Mapping Software

You can use mapping software to improve your business performance. What is mapping software? It is a way of visualizing and analyzing your data on a geographic map.

The benefits of mapping software for your business include:

• Improved customer analysis: Mapping software gives you a visual representation of your customers’ locations and allows you to identify patterns and trends. Analyze the data and you get an insight into your customers’ behaviors and preferences. 
• Enhanced marketing efforts: Mapping software allows you to identify and target specific demographic groups based on location.
• Increased operational efficiency: You can use mapping software to optimize your operations. It will help you identify the most efficient delivery routes or locate the closest suppliers. 
• Enhanced data visualization: Mapping software allows you to visualize your data more engagingly and interactively. Strong visualization means you can better understand the data and identify patterns and trends. 
• Improved decision-making: Mapping software provides a more comprehensive view of your data which will help you make more informed decisions.

Web-Based Payment Systems

You can help your business thrive when it comes to sending and receiving payments online. There are so many payment options available that keeping track of them all can be a challenge. Being able to offer different web-based payment options means you can attract new customers and manage your payment system more efficiently.

Website Analytics

Having a business website is more involved than many people think. It’s not just a case of getting one published and then forgetting about it. You need to examine how people use it. Website analytics can help business owners spot patterns in visitors’ behavior. It can also provide essential information about a website’s performance. 

A good place to start is Google Analytics. It is easy to set up with your website’s domain name. It will give you a basic overview of how many people have visited your site, what they have looked at, and where they came from.

Once you’ve done that, the next step is to set up conversion tracking. That way you’ll be able to identify which pages are driving sales or attracting new customers.

Other metrics that will be beneficial to know include the average time spent on your site and how long it takes a person to complete their purchase.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the ways in which technology can be harnessed to improve your business. Technology changes so much and so rapidly that it can be hard to know how or where to start. Let’s just say there is no time like the present and you will not regret your decision, whatever technology you choose.